Recruiting gold in Forest

@normwood@UVApolitics87 @jtuckermartin Yep. It's going to be pursued for John.

Though Woodberry Forest is a tiny, private, all-male boarding school of fewer than 400 students tucked away in the woods about 40 minutes northeast of Charlottesville, college football recruiters haven't had much trouble finding their way there this year.

It wouldn't seem often that a member of the small Virginia Prep League draws attention from college football programs such as Michigan, North Carolina, UCLA, Notre Dame, Stanford, Miami and Clemson. Woodberry Forest coach Clint Alexander, who has five seniors being recruited by top Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision schools, including highly sought-after linebacker Aramide Olaniyan, has been building his program in preparation for this kind of season.

"I've never had this many Division I-A recruits before, that's for sure," said Alexander, who's in his fifth season as the coach at Woodberry Forest.

In addition to Olaniyan, defensive tackle Duke Mosby, free safety/running back Ed Reynolds, linebacker/running back Ade Oyalowo and offensive tackle Chad Kolumber likely will end up on college rosters next season. Olaniyan and Oyalowo are American-born kids with Nigerian family heritage.

Oh … and as for grades? That's not a concern for these guys. Oyalowo, who is 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, has a 4.2 grade-point average and he's being recruited by Princeton, Brown and Yale. Reynolds has a 3.97 GPA and he's considering scholarship offers from Duke, UNC and Stanford.

Woodberry Forest has a reputation for being one of the most strenuous academic prep schools in the state. In many ways, football practice and games are the easiest things these guys do all week.

"Practice is one of the things you look forward to," said Olaniyan, who carries a 3.0 GPA and hopes to major in political science in college. "I had two tests (Thursday). I spent from 7:45 (a.m.) to 12 studying for just those two tests. I didn't do anything else. I don't think there's another school I could be at back home where I do homework the way I do homework here. It's definitely a challenge."

Olaniyan, a 6-2, 205-pound prospect whom many recruiting analysts consider to be among the nation's top 40 linebackers, committed in March to Duke. He changed his mind early this week and now will take a closer look at other schools. He's still considering Duke, but he also visited Michigan two weeks ago. On the weekend of Nov. 20, he'll visit UCLA.

"He is so unbelievably explosive," Alexander said regarding Olaniyan's biggest asset. "He plays anywhere up front in the front seven for us — wherever we need him."

Olaniyan also is looking at Virginia, UNC, Wake Forest, N.C. State, Clemson, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Miami and Notre Dame. He said he has offers from all of the aforementioned schools except Vanderbilt, Miami and Notre Dame. He camped this summer at Duke, Notre Dame and UNC, and he added that the Tar Heels offered a scholarship at their camp.

So, why the sudden de-commitment from Duke? It seems the Blue Devils' 24-16 loss in the season opener to Richmond had a lot to do with it.

"I think the Richmond game hurt them more than anything else," said Olaniyan, who was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Bowie, Md.

Mosby, a 6-3, 270-pound prospect, ended his recruitment early and committed in April to Wake Forest. He also considered offers from Clemson, N.C. State and James Madison.

Reynolds, a 6-3, 200-pound recruit who visited Michigan with Olaniyan, has the advantage of pedigree on his side. His father, Ed Sr., played linebacker at U.Va. and went on to play 10 years in the NFL for the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

At 6-8 and 290 pounds, Kolumber actually has slimmed down to make himself a more viable option for college recruiters. After beefing up for wrestling season, he lost 25 pounds, and recruiters have been calling Alexander about him. Alexander said he has had 23 requests for film on Kolumber.

Versatility is one of Woodberry Forest's biggest advantages. Alexander, who said he sent two players to FCS Davidson after last season, two to FCS Richmond and one to Division III Amherst, said his team went six consecutive weeks last season where it never ran the same base defense twice. Olaniyan said he has played defensive end and defensive tackle, in addition to linebacker, to exploit mismatches.

How can Alexander get away with a near-weekly change of philosophy? Hey, it pays to have smart kids.

"I tell them, 'You're going to win all the ties,' " Alexander said. "I say, 'When a college is looking at you and somebody else, and you're tied in every area, you're going to win because your GPA at Woodberry in a public school would be about a 6.7.'

"It really helps to have great players from great families that are super-motivated."